Karlene Willcocks, Executive Director
Well, it has been another exciting week here at CKW. I have had the opportunity to catch up with some amazing stars of CKW which I will share with you in my message this week.
It was, however, with some disappointment that, due to competing priorities, I have not been able to get out to all the events this week such as Harmony Day, but certainly the executive and leadership teams have been sharing these events with me.
I’m the first person to say that we have such great people working at CKW, so I wanted to start with a shout out to one of our staff heroes.
Staff Shout Out
Last week, towards the end of our Disability Services Action Plan launch, a man who had attended the event appeared to lose consciousness and fell to the ground.
The Central Admissions Team called a MET and flagged a young doctor Dr Liam Sipila who was walking past to assist.
Liam immediately took control of the situation. He assisted the patient, rolled him onto his side and kept track of his vitals for the short period of time until the MET team arrived.
Liam’s response was described to me as truly inspiring, calming and commendable.
It was my pleasure to go and meet and thank Liam with Acting Director of Clinical Training Dr Gunjan Chawla.
Liam is an intern on the Rural Generalist Pathway currently undertaking a rotation in medicine and heading to anaesthetics for his next rotation.
Judging by this response, Liam will be an asset to us as a clinician.
Thank you Liam and good luck on your training, we are grateful to have you on the CKW team.
Policies and Procedures
It is important that all our policies and procedures are up to date. These documents guide and support our practice ensuring we are following best practice guidelines. Regular reviews are important to ensure that they reflect contemporary best practice and that they are required.
You will note a flurry of activity to seek consultation on these documents currently as we have a blitz on to get these documents up to date. Please ensure you feed into this consultation if you have feedback and if you are the custodian of any, please ensure you check when the review process is due and lead this. If, at any time, you note something in a policy, please contact the custodian or the CKW Quality and Safety team to discuss your thoughts or concerns.
Additionally, we are working hard to close all out outstanding incidents in Riskman – both staff and patient related. It is really important that we do this efficiently to show respect for our team and our community, and ensure that we take learnings from these events and put strategies in place to address issues.
Please ensure that if you are responsible for managing these that you are reviewing them asap after receiving them, with a view to effectively closing them with the appropriate follow up, particularly to staff members entering them.
If our Safety and Quality Team ask you for information, directly or via a supervisor in your area, please respond urgently. It’s critical to showcase our ongoing strong commitment to patient safety.
Peer Responder Week
This week is Peer Responder week. Our Peer Responders are here to support the wellbeing of our staff and build thriving teams.
Peer Responder Week (18-24 March) is to help raise awareness of this support service and encourage more staff to get involved. Do you know Peer Responders in your team or work area? You can find CKW Peer Responders on QHEPS.
Our Peer Responders have been trained in Psychological First Aid and are available to provide support to colleagues experiencing distress of any kind (professional or personal).
We have 25 Peer Responders trained here at CKW, one of those is Administration Officer Sean Thomson. This week, I wanted to profile Sean (right):
Why did you become a Peer Responder:
“I have now worked at Caboolture Hospital for around 8.5 years. After witnessing the challenges and stresses that can accompany our work, I felt a calling to do more than just observe. I recognised the importance of having a confidential and empathetic ear to turn to during difficult times.
“My decision to become a Peer Responder was fuelled by a genuine desire to be that reassuring presence for my fellow colleagues, offering a safe space for them to express their concerns, share their burdens, and find comfort in knowing they’re not alone.”
Why you think the Peer Responder role is important to have?
“Through becoming a Peer Responder, I learnt that sometimes all it takes is a listening ear to make a difference. Sometimes people find
it hard talking to a stranger, so having someone you work with available to listen and support is very important.
“I believe Peer Responders play a key role in normalising conversations around mental health.”
Executive Rounding
This week, we recommenced our Executive Leadership rounding across the CKW directorate.
This is an opportunity for our Executive team to be out and about speaking to staff about the things they are proud of, challenging things and opportunities they see.
It is also an opportunity for you to show us things around the area you work in that you want us to see.
We will also have focus topics we want to hear from you about, so in future messages we will let you know what these are so that if you do not see us you can still provide feedback.
On Monday, CKW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Manager Tracy Grant and I went to several areas of Caboolture Hospital. It was most definitely the highlight of my week.
Our first visit was Food Services where we spoke to a number of staff.
One of the team, Bernadette, has been working in Food Services at CKW for 24 years. Bernadette told us she enjoys working with colleagues with different perspectives and from a mix of aged groups.
She also spoke very highly of her supervisor Graham who came to Caboolture from TPCH two years ago helping with the introduction of our room service model and has stayed.
Bernadette really commended Graham for always being calm and respectful to the team and Graham also told us he worked with a great team.
Our Food Services team work hard seven days a week.
While we were in Food Services, we also chatted to Jack who advised us that the Food Services team have a team building strategy where staff wear Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Better Together polo shirts on their ‘Friday’ before they have days off, regardless of when their ‘weekend’ may fall.
As we walked around the area, we found Michael who we identified was also on his Friday – what an awesome initiative.
We then met Dietician Ellen Heads who spoke about how important it is to enter diet codes in Patient Flow Manager (PFM) when the patient is admitted. This ensures that patients get the right meals and do not have risk of harm from allergies.
We then visited the Patient Support Services team and met Jack, Ian, Luana, Bec and Jeannie.
They told us that they love working at Caboolture Hospital. They said it was a great place where everyone has a patient care focus. They talked about challenges with space for equipment storage and how the bigger footprint with the new CSB they were stretched with work demands, which we understand and continue to work with the team on.
Our next visit was to Main Reception where we met with Kylie (who has worked with us 18 years), Ava and Wendy.
This team is truly our welcoming party and they spoke about their passion for the job they do.
Kylie spoke about how she really enjoys the personal interaction and ability to build rapport with people, and how she has had the privilege to get to know our community.
Our last visit was to Switch where we got to meet the most experienced and the least experienced staff in the team.
We met Kerry, who is one of our originals who has worked for us since Caboolture Hospital opened a whopping 30 (or slightly more) years ago!
Compare that to Janet who we also met and who is in week 2 of orientation – welcome to the team. And Tracey. who also works in the Emergency Department.
The team told us they really enjoyed their new environment though had some frustration about the lack of involvement in the development of new systems they now have – it certainly reiterated how important it is to engage with our experts!
Pride In Metro North launch
Pride in Metro North has been established as part of Metro North Health’s commitment to provide a safe and inclusive environment for all employees and consumers regardless of their sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics or sexual orientation.
Pride in Metro North is a safe-space and forum for collaboration, to share experiences, ideas and resources, provide advice on matters affecting LGBTQIA+ peoples, identify opportunities for improvement in our service and facilities, and implement change initiatives.
The launch of Pride in Metro North will be held at RBWH on Wednesday 27 March at 9.30am. A CKW launch event will be held soon!
To RSVP for the launch or to get involved locally, email prideinmetronorth@health.qld.gov.au.
Watch out for National Doctor’s Day and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellness Day events on Thursday (28 March) and April is No Falls Month. Always a lot happening across CKW!
Research Corner
Caboolture Hospital clinicians will soon use artificial intelligence to help diagnose swallowing impairment and aspiration during routine mealtime observations.
Adjunct Associate Professor Thuy Frakking and her team received Caboolture Hospital’s first Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant of more than $156,000 to undertake the work.
Aspiration, when food/fluids enter the airway, can lead to serious short and long-term disease in children. Current assessments, such as an x-ray swallow, for aspiration are limited by reduced availability and involve the use of radiation.
Through networks facilitated by Metro North Health, she has teamed up with Griffith University Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Doctors Belinda Schwerin and Stephen So, to see what was possible.
Their initial work saw 100 per cent precision in the detection of swallowing impairment and aspiration in children.
Dr Frakking said the MRFF grant funding would allow the team to adapt their developed algorithm to suit swallow sounds collected in clinical environments where there are more noises to work with.
“The development of an accurate algorithm to classify aspiration in children will help to progress to the development of an app that families and clinicians can access worldwide without the need for x-ray swallows,” Dr Frakking said.
“This is exciting, particularly for children and families where access to paediatric x-ray swallows are not available.”
National Close the Gap Day
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have some of the poorest health outcomes in areas such as life expectancy and infant mortality.
Close the Gap Day yesterday was a reminder to us all to be aware of the ongoing struggle to find health equity for our communities across the country.
The Close the Gap Strategy aims to improve the life outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We are more than half-way along the Close the Gap journey with the year 2033 approaching, where we are tasked with achieving specific targets.
Unfortunately, some targets are in danger of not being reached or achieved. For instance, life expectancy targets seem to be widening rather than closing.
Health Equity is a fundamental right for all. On Close the Gap Day, we celebrate the innovation, successes and resilience of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
However, there is more to be done. Ask work colleagues, families, community, everyone to help support and continue to take action on this important subject.
Please take the time to become aware and consider how to show your support to Close the Gap.
Wonderful colour on Harmony Day
Harmony Week is a time to celebrate our cultural diversity. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging.
Did you know that at Metro North, about 15 per cent of staff in Metro North identify as culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD)?
Here’s the team from Ward 4D in a sea of orange yesterday, celebrating the diversity of our staff and our community. Well done Ward 4D, I hear you had a great day and was sorry I could not come and visit as I was off-site.
A final reminder to submit entries for the 2024 Multicultural Queensland Awards. Nominations close at 5pm on Sunday 7 April. More details are available online.
Local Area Needs Assessment 2024
Metro North Health and Brisbane North PHN are jointly developing a Local Area Needs Assessment for the Brisbane North region. It closes on 14 April.
The LANA survey is open for staff, community partners, and patients to gain their respective insights of the health and service needs of the Brisbane North community.
Download the LANA survey poster for your ward or clinic waiting room. Complete the LANA survey.
A friendly face at Kilcoy Hospital
It was great to meet Administration Officer Nic Irvin at Kilcoy Hospital recently.
Nic lives at Woodford with her wife Kim and their two fur babies Winston and Sundae. She has been working at Caboolture Hospital since May last year and recently started covering shifts at Kilcoy Hospital.
She enjoys working at both facilities and would like to find a permanent position on one of the wards.
Metro North is a safe space for gender diverse staff, patients and visitors. Using someone’s correct pronouns is an important as this video explains.
I was taken by Nic’s lanyard (though I am not a lanyard fan) with pronouns on it… I thought it was a great idea and know there is some work around these going on as for some people it is a hard/confronting question to ask but it is a way to make people feel included when asked in a respectful way as part of an introduction.
The Metro North email signature block has recently been updated for people to include their preferred pronouns (eg. she/her, they/them, he/him). Update your signature.
Queensland Health also has some excellent resources for staff who identify as LGBTIQA+ or allies who would like to learn more.
Recruitment updates
Clinical Director MOPS – Dr Emma Donaldson
Dr Emma Donaldson has been appointed to the Medical Director position within the Medicine and Older Persons (MOPS) Service Line. She has been acting in this capacity since early February.
Dr Donaldson brings a wealth of experience to this role with a distinguished background in clinical leadership, governance and patient-centred care. Her extensive career spans both the United Kingdom and Australia, allowing her to bring a diverse perspective to our healthcare initiatives.
Acting CKW Director Nursing and Midwifery – Sam Schefe
Following an Expression of Interest process, Sam Schefe has been appointed to the role of Director of Nursing and Midwifery (DONM) for three months while we conduct a permanent recruitment process.
Sam brings a wealth of experience in healthcare and nursing leadership to this position. He joins us from the Nursing Director Workforce and Innovation role at Community and Oral Health.
A special thank you to Director Planning and Performance Nikia Goldsmith who will provide coverage in the DONM role until Sam starts at CKW in the coming weeks. For any matters requiring DONM attention, email to DON-Caboolture@health.qld.gov.au or phone 5433 8606.
Acting Nursing Director Caboolture Emergency Department, Kilcoy Hospital, Woodford Corrections Health, Caboolture and Bribie Island Satellite Hospitals Minor Injury and Illness Clinics – Aleesha Hampson
Congratulations to Aleesha Hampson who has been appointed to the role of Acting Nursing Director for Caboolture Emergency Department, Kilcoy Hospital, Woodford Corrections Health Service and Caboolture and Bribie Island Satellite Hospital Minor Injury and Illness Clinics.
Aleesha will start in the role from Monday (25 March). Congratulations!
CKW Director of Clinical Health Information Service
Recruitment is underway for the CKW Director of Clinical Health Information Service role. It’s available on Smart Jobs.
Bribie Island Satellite Hospital
As you know, we are actively recruiting for positions at Bribie Island Satellite and all current positions can be found online.
They include a Radiographer, various pharmacists and four identified roles for positions within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Hub team.
Approximately 15 nursing roles will be advertised shortly for positions in perinatal, the Minor Injuries and Illness Clinic, Day Medical Treatment Unit, haemodialysis and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Hub.
In a new initiative, we have also launched a portal where future candidates can complete an Expression of Interest which matches them to a suitable position when it becomes available. So far, more than 1100 people have registered their interest which is a fantastic outcome to help address our workforce challenge.
Metro North is a supportive and inclusive employer and I’m really excited to see our role as an employer of choice develop in the Moreton Bay region.
I think local candidates see the range of opportunities that are available and, together with the added convenience of working closer to home, a career with CKW is certainly becoming very appealing to them.
As an example, we recently received over 38 applications for the security roles and more than 25 applications for the Facility Manager role. Many of these candidates live locally, which is great for local economy and community.
Farewell Ben Ballard
Our Nursing and Midwifery Director Ben Ballard bids farewell to CKW today and will start his exciting new Director of Nursing role at STARS on Monday.
Ben has done so much great work for CKW and we will miss him greatly. Here’s a few pictures from his farewell event earlier this week.
Reflection of the week
As I reflect on my week, I also wanted to reach out to our Muslim community, who are in the middle of Ramadan.
Ramadan held on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is the most sacred month of the year for the Muslim community. During Ramadan (29 -30 day), Muslims abstain from food and drink (including water) from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan is a time where you are encouraged to do good deeds and a time of self-reflection, generosity and spiritual growth.
The end of Ramadan is expected to fall on the evening of the 9 or 10 April and is celebrated by a three-day festival at the end of fasting, where Muslims pray, gather with family and friends, exchange gifts and share food.
I am ever so grateful to my colleagues who share their culture with me so that I learn and have the opportunity to be involved with them in these celebrations.
I’m happy to be a leader in an organisation that has an inclusive and supportive environment where we can recognise important religious events from across the world.
Please speak to your line managers to organise flexible working hours and/or cultural leave.
May I also wish a very happy new year to our Persian colleagues. Nowruz Mobarak!
Well, as we head towards Easter next week – a Christian celebration and here in Australia an important period, I wish you all some time to enjoy the beauty of where we live.
Whether you watch sport, read a book, catch up with friends or something else, some reflection time on how lucky we are to have such a richly diverse and kind accepting environment to work, live and play here in Australia.
Quote
‘We are not all in the same boat. We are all in the same storm. Some have yachts, some have canoes and some are drowning. Just be kind and help when you can.’ Damien Barr
Regards,
Karlene.
